Banjo-bridge.



UNITED Stains LAWRENCE A. CALLAN,

"atented April Ll, 1905.

SPECIFICATIOH forming' part of Letters Patent No. 7386,625, dated .t-.pril 4, 1905.

Application led May 5, 1904. Serial No. 206,553.

To /l/N/ whom/ zit nifty cm2/cern.-

Be it known that i, LAwnnNon A. UALLAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Yrilaslr ington, in the District of Columbia, have invented a new and useful Banjodridgc, of which the following is a specitication.

rlhe invention relates to improvements in banjo-bridges- The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of bridges for ban-- jos, guitars, and similar musical instruments, and to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive one of great strength and durability adapted to transmit to the head of the instrument all the vibrations of a string' and the .full tonal qualities thereof, whereby the tone is rendered more perfect and is longer sustained than heretofore.

A further object of the invention is to provide a banjo-bridge of this character adapted to eliminate the disagreeable metallic sound so prevalent in all banjos having metallic rim, and thereby enable such an instrument to send forth a true musical sound.

Another object of the invention is to provide a banjo-bridge having an enlarged base or board ad pted to transmit to the head of a banjo or other instrument the slightestvibration of a string and capable of distributing' such vibrations uniformly throughout the head.

Furthermore, it is the object of the invention to provide a bridge which will be iirmly supported in position on the head of an instrument and which will not injure the head or sink into the same in damp weather.

iV ith these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being' understood that various chang'es in the form, pr portion, size, and miner details of construction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacriiicing' any of the advantages of the invention.

ln the drawings, Fig'u re 1 is a sectional view of a portion of a head of a banjo provided with a bridge constructed in accordance 'with this invention. Fig. Q is a detail perspectiver view of a bridge. 3, 4E, and 5 are similar views illustrating' mcxlilications of the invention.

Lilie numerals of reference designate corrosponding' parts in all the lig'ures of the drawings.

l designates a banjo-bridge designed te be constructed of wood or any other suit-able material and comprising' body portion 2, legs 3, and a transmitting-board 4t, forming' an enlarged base adapted to lit against the head of abanjo, as illustrated in Fig'. l of the drawings. r,ihe body portion i). is provided with notches (5 for the strings 7 of the banjo. As illustrated in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings, the legs are preferably arranged at the eenter and edge of the bridge and are tapered upwarlly, as shown, being formed integral with the transmittii'ig-board. l

rlhe transmitting-board consists of a thin oblong' base or portion preferably extending' the entire iength of the bridge, as illustrated in Figs. i and i2y of the drawings, and projecting beyond the legs both laterally and longi tudinally of the bridge. The thin transmit ting-board, which is adapted to iit against the head of the banjo, presents a lower liat face io the same and iirmlyv supports the bridge in position thereon without injuring' the head, and it is of sulii cient size to prevent the bridge from sinking into the head when the latter becomes damp. it is adapted to transmit to the head of the banjo the slightest vibration of a s ring,

and as all the vibrations are transmitted to the head the tone is sustained longer than heretofore and all the tonal qualities of the string are transmitted to the head and are distrib ntcd uniformly tl'n'oug'hout the same. lt eliminates the disagreeable metallic tone so prevalent in banjos having' a metallic rim, and it enables such a banjo to send forth a true musical tone. rihe tone of the banjo is thereby rendered more mellow and musical.

in 3 of the drawings is illustrated a bridge 8, having' legs i) arranged at the ends of the bridge, and the transmitting-board 'l0 is continuous, like that shown in Fig. Q. The bridge ii (illustrated in Fig'. is provided with central and end legs l2, and the trans- -oourd is composed of three independent sections '12%, foi-mingen enlarged bese portion st cach of theiegs nud spaced epa rt. in 5 the bridge 14 is provided with end logs 15 only, end the trensinitting-beerd is coinposed of two end sections i6, Vforming` enenlerged bese :it each of the legs. The i'orin illustrated in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings has been 'r'ound by experience to be the best and to possess all of the advantages and pervferne :ill of the functions heretofore explained. "ihe continuous bridge shown in Fig. 3 is the next preferred. torni, that illustrated in Fig. the next, end that shown in 5 the next. Esch of these ternes will oper-nte as heretot'ore described, but the continuous transmitting-board with the central :ind end legs will give the best results Although the bridge illustrated in the d rewing's is provided with e trzinsiniming-board having e lint lower fece to lit the heed ot' the banjo, yet it will be readily understood that when thedevice is applied to eyiolin or other inusienl instrument not having i lint bridgereceiving.; surface the transmitting-bonrd will contorni to the conliguretion of suce instrunient.

izwing thus fully described niy invention, what i claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is--- l. Ei. bridge ot the class described, comprising' n body portion arranged to receive the strings et en instrument, and a transmittingbonrd integral with the body portion :ind spaced troni the sznne :ind forming an enlare'ed base, seid trnnsniitting-bonrd being;l adopted to lit against nn instrui'nent. sulistznitinlly :is :nid ior the purpose described.

if. Abridgeot' the clziss described, comprisingl s, body portion, legs supi'iortiig' the body portion, and n trnnsniitting-bozn'd hziying the lens mounted on it zuid spaced by the suine from the body portion :ind 'forming :Ln enlarged bese 'for the bridge, mid legs being forn'ied integral with the body portion und the trznismitting-boerd substantially :is described.

A bridge ol the clziss described, con'iprising :i body portion, legs, :nid :i thin lat transmitting-board spaced from the body portion by the legs :ind lorining :in enlarged buse tor the bridge und extending' beyond the logs both laterally and longitudinally olI the bridge, seid legs being iornied integri-nl with both the body portion :ind the trunsinittinig-boi;rd substantially :is described.

4;. A ln'idge ol the class described, comprising e body portion, legs, :ind n thin trzinsniitting-board spaced troni the body portion by the legs and forming nn enlarged buse Vfor litting` against un instrument :ind conforming to the conlig'uretion ot' the sznne, seid legs being Yformed integral with both the body portion end the buse substnntially :is described.

in testimony that clnini the lorcgoino` es iny own ,l have hereto zil'lixed iny signature in the presence of two witnesses.

Lilli/'BENCH A. (,ffrlilli/lhl.

Vil'itnesses:

loi-in il. none n Slee uns, TA'rn. 

